Focus Area

An area of focus for the JLH has has been homelessness.

Homelessness is one of the state’s most pressing problems.

Hawaii has the highest rate of homelessness per capita in the nation, with more than 6,500 homeless persons in the state—including women and children. Sixty-nine percent of that population lives on Oahu.*

How will the League address homelessness on Oahu?

  1. We are partnering with local agencies and nonprofits such as IHS (Institute for Human Services), the Hawaii Food Bank, Next Step Shelter and Hale Kipa for Done-In-A-Day projects.
  2. During a General Membership Meeting, Joyce Lee-Ibarra, the Founder and Principle of JLI Consulting, a nonprofit consulting firm, provided an overview of homelessness in Hawaii and shared the findings of a study she co-authored on the institutional touchpoints of homelessness.

*Sources: 2018 Combined Statewide “Hawaii Still No. 1 in Per Capita Homeless,” Star-Advertiser, Dec. 6, 2017; Point-in-Time Count, Partners In Care.